


When He Fell for Him

by fandom_food_fire



Category: Shubh Mangal Zyada Saavdhan (2020), Shubh Mangal Zyada Saavdhan (2020) RPF
Genre: Karman, M/M, SMZS - Freeform, Shubh mangal zyada saavdhan - Freeform, aman - Freeform, architect!karthik, karman AU, karman prompt, karthik - Freeform, karthik plays guitar, professor!aman, researcher!aman
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-21
Updated: 2020-08-19
Packaged: 2021-03-03 02:53:23
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 9,457
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24307732
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/fandom_food_fire/pseuds/fandom_food_fire
Summary: Suddenly, he heard a crash and whirled around startled. There on his dining table, over his sketches and grid sheets, lay his cute little new neighbour.“Hi, I'm Karthik Singh,” he said as he extended his hand to help his neighbour get up.“Uhm hi. I'm Aman, Aman Tripathi,” he replied and took the hand offered to him so that he could get off the damned table.The flat above Karthik's had a new occupant, Aman, who was getting it renovated. What happens when Aman steps on a weak spot on the floor and falls through Karthik's ceiling onto his dining table? Well, they both get a date for Friday, that is what happens.
Relationships: Karman - Relationship, Kartik Singh/Aman Tripathi
Comments: 77
Kudos: 109





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This fic has been inspired by the prompt used by tumblr user @simplyclockwork. I thought it was a good potential prompt for their first meet.  
> This is my first fic and since today (21-05-2020) marks three months to this amazing couple, I thought why not?
> 
> Just a small fic I wrote to quell the quarantine blues using my fav couple from Bollywood. Enjoy!

### Karthik's POV

Karthik was standing in front of the window, strumming his guitar and singing his latest composition, trying to perfect it amidst all the noise that was coming from upstairs. Someone had finally moved in the flat over his and was having it all renovated, and the sound of the drills on his roof and hammers on nails was driving him crazy, which was why he decided to abandon his pass-time sketching on his dining table and practice his guitar, trying to drown out all the din.

Suddenly, he heard a crash and whirled around startled. There on his dining table, over his sketches and grid sheets, lay his cute little new neighbour. His neighbour looked up to the roof, which made him glance up too to look at the roof that had caved in, and when he looked back down he had to put his hand to his mouth to stop his laugh from escaping.

His neighbour looked down, clearly embarrassed and that sobered Karthik up. He strode from his place to the dining room, depositing his guitar and the pick onto the couch on his way there. He smiled at the stranger sweetly, trying to ease him up.

“Hi, I'm Karthik Singh,” he said as he extended his hand to help his neighbour get up. 

They hadn’t met, strictly speaking, but Karthik had felt the guy check him out in the lobby of their apartment the day before when he was talking on the phone with Devika. He had to work hard to keep his smile in check, and when he looked up to the guy, he just looked away, trying to pretend he was not just staring at an apparent stranger. Karthik had found it cute. No, he had found him cute. And now this cute little guy was on his dining table.

“Uhm hi. I'm Aman, Aman Tripathi,” he replied and took the hand offered to him so that he could get off the damned table. 

‘Hmm, Aman, cute name for a cute guy’ Karthik thought as he grinned internally.

However, if Aman thought that his embarrassment for the day was over, he was clearly wrong. As he was getting off the table, his hand hit the bottle of water that Karthik had left open on the table (no surprise there. At any given moment, Karthik Singh was only half present on earth.)

Aman gasped and put his hand to his mouth. “Shit, I'm so sorry.”

Karthik just laughed it off. “It’s alright, they were just rough sketches, never mind them. Would you like a glass of water though?” he asked and even though he had a glint in his eyes, his voice did not carry any teasing humour, but was rather genuine. Gods knew he did not want to embarrass his cute little neighbour any more than he already was. He looked like he was ready to melt into a puddle.

“Yes, uh yes some water would be great” Aman replied hesitantly. “Oh by the way, I'm your new neighbour. I recently shifted into the flat above.”

“Oh, I definitely got that,” Karthik laughed as he glanced at the hole in the ceiling and back to Aman. 

Aman just rubbed the back of his neck. “Yeah, I mean sorry for that too. It’s just that they are re-doing the floor and I must have stepped on a weak spot.”

“ _Arey chill. Kuchh nhi hota. Waise you could’ve taken the stairs too agar milne ka itna shaukh tha. Shortcut ki kya zaroorat thi._ ” (Oh chill. It was nothing. By the way, you could’ve taken the stairs too if you wanted to meet me so badly. There wass hardly any need for this shortcut.) Karthik said good naturedly as he poured a glass of water for him. 

All the while he was turned, he could feel Aman study his side profile, his nose ring, if he wasn’t wrong. Karthik smiled internally.

When he turned around, Aman just looked down, embarrassed. ‘Red suits him,’ Karthik thought to himself.

“Oh how did I forget to ask! Did you hurt yourself in the fall? Are you fine?” Karthik slapped his forehead mentally. How could he forget to do the first thing any decent human would do? ‘ _Nhi, tere dimaag par toh flirt karna tha pehle,_ ’ (nope, you only had flirting on your mind) he mentally chided himself.

“ _Nhi nhi main theek hun. Chot toh nhi aayi hai._ ” Aman’s voice broke his chain of thoughts. (No, no, I'm fine. I did not get hurt.)

“ _Chalo achha hai. Ab aa hi gye ho toh do minute baith lo. Gather your bearings and then you can leave,_ ” Karthik offered. (Well, that’s good. Now that you’re here, sit for a couple of minutes. Gather your bearings and then you can leave.)

Aman just hummed in response and followed him to his couch. Karthik sat beside his guitar while Aman took the seat opposite him. He could see Aman staring unblinkingly at his guitar. 

“ _Kya hua?_ ” Karthik asked, his brows furrowed. (What happened?)

“ _Hmm? Oh, kuchh nhi._ ” Aman replied and brought the glass to his lips. (Hmm? Oh, nothing.)

“So, what do you do Aman?” Karthik attempted small talk. He wanted to know this cute little guy, and definitely did not want him to go back too soon.

“Well, I just finished my masters in biopsychology, and was offered a few Ph.D. programmes here in Delhi. I have my first thesis presentation after two weeks.” Aman replied.

“Oh, so you might leave if you don’t get the offers?” the words were out of Karthik’s mouth before he could stop them and he mentally slapped his forehead for sounding so desperate. ‘Way to go Karthik. Scare him off, why don’t you?’ he thought to himself.

“No….” Aman stretched the word before continuing, “I mean, I'm definitely not going back home. Anyways, what do you do?” he effectively turned the conversation onto Karthik and smoothed out the crease that had formed on his forehead at Karthik's question.

“Me? Well I just completed a degree in architecture, and am doing an internship for a firm.”

“Oh is that what the sheets were about? I'm so sorry I ruined your work.” Aman apologised again.

“ _Arey yaar, you don’t need to apologise._ In fact, that was just some rough practice I was doing until inspiration struck me and I could work on my actual project. So it’s fine” Karthik reassured him. (Dude, you don’t need to apologise.)

“Well, I still feel bad. For both ruining your roof, which I’ll get mended, don’t worry about that, and also for spilling water over your sketches. I want to make it up to you.” He said with utmost sincerity.

“ _Yaar aise formality mat kar,_ ” Karthik laughed. (Dude, please don’t act so formal.)

“No, really? What can I do to make it up to you?” he persisted.

“ _Kuchh bhi?_ ” Karthik raised his brows, his eyes glinting mischievously, ready to shoot his shot. He was pretty sure Aman was into men too, his gay-dar was quite strong and seldom wrong. (Anything?)

Aman nodded and Karthik felt smug, for some reason, that he trusted Karthik enough to agree to such a statement.

“Well, then join me for drinks this Friday?” Karthik asked, more like said, with a smirk.

Aman froze, his eyes enlarged. Karthik fidgeted, afraid he’d crossed a line. 

“ _Hey, Aman, kya hua?_ ” he waved a hand in front of him, which effectively snapped him out. (Hey, Aman, what happened)

“Wait! Did you just ask me out on a date?” Aman asked perplexed.

His hopeful tone made Karthik relax again. “Sure, if you want it to be,” he said smugly, his smirk back in place.

“Sure, why not?” Aman shrugged and placed the glass on the table in front of him.

‘ _God iski smile kitni cute hai!_ ’ Karthik thought, and thankfully kept his thoughts to himself. (God his smile is so cute!)

Aman got up and made to move towards the door, so Karthik followed him.

“So, I’ll see you on Friday? 7:30?” Aman asked.

“Oh yes sure! I’ll pick you up.” Karthik smiled with a glint in his eyes and continued after a short pause, “unless you want to take the shortcut.”

To his surprise Aman laughed this time, and said, “ _Chinta maat kar, friday se pehle shortcut band ho jayega._ ” (don’t worry, the shortcut will be mended before Friday.)

“Awwwww” Karthik imitated a puppy and Aman just laughed and turned around to walk to the staircase.

Karthik waited until Aman was out of sight to perform his victory dance.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This is technically the same as the previous chapter, but this one is in Aman's POV.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here is the chapter we all have been waiting for. Enjoy!

### Aman's POV

Aman had just returned from the market after buying some necessities for his new home. Well, at least what will be his new home. Right now it looked like a tornado had ripped through the place and it no way resembled a flat. The renovators had stripped the walls bare, the flooring was off and was being renewed, and all the noise was deafening. 

Aman felt exhausted, and was going to sit on the couch in the corner of the room when he heard it. It was barely audible over all the din, but he could hear someone playing the guitar and singing in a low tone in the flat below his. He did not know it was possible to fall in love with a voice, but in that moment, he felt like he had. Almost subconsciously, he started moving swiftly towards the spot from where the music was wafting up into his flat. In his haste, he forgot all about loose floor boards and weak spots.

The next thing he knew, he was weightless for a second before he landed hard on a wooden table, right onto sheets of paper.

‘What the _fuck!_ ’ he thought as he looked up at the ceiling that had given away under his weight. Looking ahead he saw a gorgeous man holding a guitar and looking at the ceiling, his mind directly going into over-drive.

‘Oh shit! The nose-ring-guy?!’ he thought as he realised the person in front of him was the same one he’d seen in the lobby yesterday. Aman hadn’t gotten around to meeting his neighbours yet, but he had seen this guy as he was waiting for the lift the previous day. Saying he was mesmerised was an understatement. The guy was talking to someone on the phone, and when he turned towards Aman, he looked away so fast he was surprised he did not have a neck sprain. And now, this beautiful nose-ring-guy was standing in front off him, trying not to laugh. He looked down, embarrassed.

‘How the hell did I forget about the floor!’ he cursed himself.

“Hi, I'm Karthik Singh,” the guy said in his smooth voice as he strode towards the table, placing the guitar in his hand on the couch.

“Uhm, hi. I'm Aman, Aman Tripathi,” he replied as he took the hand offered to him and got off the table. To his horror, his other hand hit a bottle of water and spilt all its content over the table. He gasped and his hand flew to his mouth.

“Shit, I’m so sorry.” He said out loud. Internally, he just counted till ten lest he started cussing whoever was up there for making his day so miserable.

To his surprise, instead of being pissed, the nose-ring-guy, no, Karthik, laughed. 

“It’s alright, they were just rough sketches, never mind them. Would you like a glass of water though?” he asked Aman. For a moment he thought he might be teasing him but the sincerity in his voice was quite hard to miss.

“Yes, uh yes some water would be great” Aman replied hesitantly, his throat quite parched suddenly, and not just from the dry summer of Delhi. “Oh by the way, I'm your new neighbour. I recently shifted into the flat above,” he added when he realised he did not actually introduce who he was.

“Oh, I definitely got _that,_ ” Karthik laughed as he glanced at the hole in the ceiling and back to Aman. 

‘Oh god. Please let the earth swallow me now,’ he groaned internally.

“Yeah, I mean sorry for that too. It’s just that they are re-doing the floor and I must have stepped on a weak spot,” he explained as he rubbed his neck and stared at this beautiful man. He knew it was rude, but he could hardly take his eyes off his nose-ring.

‘Just think how amazing the cool metal will feel against your face when you both are kissing passionately!’ Aman internally did a double take at his thoughts.

“ _Arey chill. Kuchh nhi hota. Waise you could’ve taken the stairs too agar milne ka itna shaukh tha. Shortcut ki kya zaroorat thi,_ ” (Oh chill. It was nothing. By the way, you could’ve taken the stairs too if you wanted to meet me so badly. There was hardly any need for this shortcut,) Karthik said and turned to him with his glass of water.

Aman looked down as he took the glass from Karthik, and he could feel the blood rush to his face. He was sure that despite his complexion, he must've turned red. 

“Oh how did I forget to ask! Did you hurt yourself in the fall? Are you fine?” Karthik suddenly spoke up, his voice an octave higher.

“ _Nhi nhi main theek hun. Chot toh nhi aayi hai,_ ” (No, no, I'm fine. I did not get hurt,) Aman said. He was touched that he cared enough to ask him how he was.

“ _Chalo achha hai. Ab aa hi gye ho toh do minute baith lo. Gather your bearings and then you can leave,_ ” (Well, that’s good. Now that you’re here, sit for a couple of minutes. Gather your bearings and then you can leave,) Karthik offered.

Aman almost blurted out a very enthusiastic ‘Yes’ but caught himself at the last moment and just hummed in response. He did not want to sound over-eager, even though that was exactly what he was.

He followed Karthik out of the dining room and towards his couch. Karthik sat beside his guitar so he decided to take the place opposite to him.

‘ _Toh yeh guitar hai jiske chakkar mein gir gya? Well, looks like it was worth it. Waise iski awaaz bhi kitni pyaari hai, aur yeh guitar bhi baja leta-_ ’ (so this is the guitar because of which I fell down? Well, looks like it was worth it. By the way, he has a lovely voice, and he can play the guitar too-)

“ _Kya hua?_ ” (What happened?) His thoughts were interrupted by the same angelic voice.

“ _Hmm, oh kuchh nhi,_ ” (Hmm, oh nothing,) Aman tried to brush his daydreaming off and brought the glass to his lips just so he could have something to do.

“So, what do you do Aman?” Karthik asked. Was he attempting at small talk? Well, if he was then it was great because Aman did not feel like leaving yet.

“Well, I just finished my masters in biopsychology, and was offered a few Ph.D. programmes here in Delhi. I have my first thesis presentation after two weeks,” he replied.

“Oh, so you might leave if you don’t get the offers?” 

He was amused at Karthik's blurted out reply, but it also made him ponder over his options. He found himself not wanting to leave Delhi, despite having arrived just a couple days ago and barely knowing one person.

“No….” Aman stretched the word before continuing, “I mean, I'm definitely not going back home.” That was the truth, he felt free for the first time, being away from his family. He felt like he could be his own self, and not just a Tripathi. “Anyways, what do you do?” he tried to deflect the conversation to Karthik. He was barely a person who talked to strangers, and, to his surprise, he had already shared a lot with this particular stranger. 

“Me? Well I just completed a degree in architecture, and am doing an internship for a firm.” Karthik replied to his question.

‘Oh an architect, that’s interesting. Wait, did I just pour water all over his work?!’ Realisation hit Aman.

“Oh is that what the sheets were about? I'm so sorry I ruined your work.” he tried to apologise again but Karthik brushed the incident off, again.

“ _Arey yaar, you don’t need to apologise_ (Dude, you don’t need to apologise). In fact, that was just some rough practice I was doing until inspiration struck me and I could work on my actual project. So it’s fine,” Karthik reassured him.

“Well, I still feel bad. For both ruining your roof, which I’ll get mended, don’t worry about that, and also for spilling water over your sketches. I want to make it up to you.” Despite Karthik's attempts, Aman was still feeling guilty and embarrassed.

“ _Yaar aise formality mat kar,_ ” (Dude, please don’t act so formal,) Karthik laughed. 

“No, really? What can I do to make it up to you?” Aman persisted.

“Kuchh bhi?” (Anything?) Karthik raised his brows.

Aman noticed the glint in his eyes, and a small rational part of his brain tried to caution him, but since the rest of his brain was already a mush, he decided to throw all caution to the winds. He nodded, and saw Karthik grow quite smug. 

“Well, then join me for drinks this Friday?” Karthik asked, more like said, with a smirk.

Aman felt his own eyes grow big. His brain short-circuited and he did not even realise that he'd frozen in his seat.

‘Did I just get asked out by the beautiful nose-ring-guy?’ was the only thought going through his brain at that moment.

“ _Hey, Aman, kya hua?_ ” (Hey, Aman, what happened?) a hand waving in front of him effectively snapped him back to reality.

“Wait! Did you just ask me out on a date?” he asked perplexed, barely registering the smirk that had been wiped off of that beautiful face return in its full glory.

“Sure, if you want it to be,” Karthik replied smoothly.

“Sure, why not?” Aman shrugged and placed the glass on the table in front of him. He tried to play it all cool as if his brain had not just stopped working just because the guy in front of him asked him out for drinks.

He decided to get up and go back to his own house. Karthik followed his lead.

“So, I’ll see you on Friday? 7:30?” Aman asked, turning around when he reached the door and had opened it.

“Oh yes sure! I’ll pick you up.” Karthik smiled with a glint in his eyes and continued after a short pause, “unless you want to take the shortcut.”

Aman was surprised at himself when he laughed instead of getting embarrassed at the mention of the incident. 

‘I guess my mind just decided to prioritise another emotion over embarrassment,’ he smirked internally.

“ _Chinta maat kar, Friday se pehle shortcut band ho jayega._ ” (Don’t worry, the shortcut will be mended before Friday,) he replied with a smile.

“Awwwww” Karthik imitated a puppy and Aman wanted to kiss him right then and there. However, he just laughed and turned around to walk to the staircase.

He had a small smile as he climbed the stairs, shaking his head at how smitten he was only after one meeting. 

‘Well, I guess I could get used to Delhi, and it’s people,’ he thought, realising he'd not been this happy in a long time.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you enjoyed it! Let me know if you enjoyed this chapter.❤
> 
> Might write their first date chapter next. 😉


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Karthik and Aman go for their first date to a pub, and had planned to finish the night off with a stroll through one of the best places in the city, CP at night. Unexpected rains makes things infinitely more interesting. Yes, it includes their first kiss too!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Read on for some cute Karman fluff!

### The First Date

Aman glanced at the clock. 7:31. He rubbed his hands together and crossed his legs to keep himself from shaking them. Since the renovations had completed, the house seemed too quiet after more than half a week of constant noise.

‘ _Agar woh nhi aya toh?_ ’ (What if he does not come?) one part of his brain argued.

‘ _Of course ayega! He was the one who asked you out,_ ’ (Of course he’ll come! He was the one who asked you out,) the rational part argued back.

He was snapped out of his reverie by the bell ringing. He quickly fixed his hair a bit in the mirror and practically all but sprinted to the door.

“Hi.” He breathed out, mesmerised by the sight that greeted him when he opened the door. Karthik looked unearthly in a well fit purple shirt, his sleeves rolled up to his elbows, paired with skinny black pants.

“Hi there,” Karthik replied softly, and Aman could feel his eyes taking him in from head to foot. He fidgeted in his spot. “You look beautiful,” Karthik continued after a pause.

Aman’s brain went haywire. He felt rather under-dressed in his mustard button up and black jeans. “Thanks, uh, you look, you look beautiful too,” he said, barely managing to string together a coherent sentence.

Karthik smiled his crooked smile that made his dimple pop out and Aman go weak in the knees.

“ _Toh chalein?_ ” (Let’s go then?) Karthik raised an eyebrow, smile still in place.

“Sure. Let me just grab my keys,” Aman answered and went inside, breathing deeply and attempting to calm his nerves on the way.

Since they both were going to be drinking, they had decided to take a cab. They talked about everything and nothing on the ride. They both realised that despite having met a couple more times after the whole falling-through-the-roof fiasco, they were still to exchange their numbers so they both swapped their phones and entered their numbers.

Aman found it easy to talk to Karthik, but even though conversation flowed between them seamlessly, the air was still thick and the silences, however few, were laden with mutual attraction that both were unsure of. At some point, Karthik threw his head back to laugh at something and his hand came to rest on Aman’s thigh. Their laughter died down too quickly and Aman could see the uncertainty in Karthik's eyes, he could see him debating what to do about his hand without making things awkward, so Aman did what naturally felt right.

He looked down at Karthik's hand, put his own hand onto his, turned it and firmly clasped it, and then looked up to give him a comforting smile. Kartik visibly relaxed and flashed him a smile in return before turning to gaze out of the window. Aman promptly turned to mush at his smile and at the way the streetlights flashing by lit up his side profile and glinted off his nose ring.

Soon they reached their destination. Aman looked around before they entered, trying to gauge what made Connaught Place one of the most famous places in Delhi. He couldn’t find anything special, but then in its defence, it was night and almost all of CP was closed. They both paid for their entries and Aman was impressed by the place. It was a quaint little pub with wooden furnishings and a dance floor. The bar looked well-stocked, and the music was nice.

They were both sipping on a cocktail at the bar when the music changed to something more upbeat and Karthik's face lit up. He jumped down from his bar tool and offered Aman his hand.

“ _Chal na, dance karte hain!_ ” (Come on, let’s go dance!) he practically shouted to be audible over the loud music.

“ _Nhi nhi tu ja, main yahin theek hun,_ ” (No no you go on, I'm fine here,) Aman replied, feeling conscious at the prospect of dancing.

“ _Oh, achha. Nhi toh main bhi yahin rukta hun._ ” (Oh okay. Then I’ll keep you company here I guess.)

“ _Arey nhi yaar, tu ja, main ek-do gaane baad aa jaunga pakka,_ ” (Dude no, you go on, I’ll join you after a couple of songs,) Aman assured him when he realised that he was not going because of him.

“ _Pakka?_ ” (Sure?) Karthik asked again.

“ _Haan haan pakka._ ” (Ya ya sure.) Aman did not want to keep him from enjoying himself.

He downed two more drinks, and continued gazing at Karthik as he flawlessly moved on the dance floor. ‘Is there anything that this talented human can’t do?’ he thought to himself. Suddenly, his body stiffened and he straightened his spine, his face no longer smiling. A girl had sidled up to Karthik and was dancing too close to him. He felt raw jealousy, and suddenly wanted to be on the dance floor with his date. He continued glaring at the two, and even though he knew Karthik did not swing for the other team, he was still being too friendly for Aman's liking. The girl whispered something in Karthik's ears and started moving towards the bar, right where Aman was sitting. His brows still furrowed, he looked down at his glass, not wanting any interaction. He thought he was doing a great job at pretending he was not just glaring holes at the woman two minutes ago, but he realised that he was wrong when she turned to him with her drink in her hand

“Your boyfriend’s hot.” She remarked.

Aman looked up too fast. “What? No. I mean he is hot. But like we are not dating. I mean…” Aman fumbled for words but the girl cut him.

“No? Well you should make your move before he gets snatched up by someone else.” She winked and walked away.

‘What was that?’ Aman thought as he realised that it was probably time to join Karthik on the floor. The other man’s wide smile felt like it could light up the room and Aman did not once regret his decision of coming to the dance floor despite not being fond of dancing. After a while, Karthik bent down and said “Do you want to get some fresh air.”

Aman just nodded, wondering if Karthik knew that this wasn’t exactly his kind of scene, and they made their way through the crowd so that they could exit. Once outside, Aman took a deep breath, the cool night breeze a nice respite from the Delhi summer.

They crossed the deserted road towards the path that ran around the famous park.

“ _Arey yaar, raat hai isiliye park band hai, warna pakka tujhe park mein le jata. Ab toh CP waapis ana hi padega,_ ” (Damn dude, if it was not night the park would’ve been open and I would’ve totally taken you there. Now we will have to come back some other day,) Karthik tried to strike up a conversation as they strolled.

“ _Hmm, waise main soch rha tha ki this place would be more impressive. Itna suna hai iske baare mein. Yeh CP toh normal sa hi hai. I think it’s over-rated._ ” (Hmm, by the way, I’d thought that this place would be more impressive. I’d heard a lot about this place. This CP is too normal. I think it’s over-rated,) Aman replied. Suddenly he realised that Karthik was no longer with him. He turned back to realise that he had stopped walking and was gaping at him.

Aman laughed at his shocked expression and just walked ahead. Karthik caught up with him pretty soon.

“ _Yaar tu kya keh rha hai? CP kahan se over-rated hai? Yeh toh dilli ki jaan hai. Tujhe toh ab din mein CP lana padega,_ ” (Dude what are you saying? In what way is CP over-rated? This is practically the soul of Delhi. Now I have to bring you back to witness CP in the day,) he said, practically bouncing up and down.

“ _Haan haan theek hai. Achha hi hoga tu bol rha hai toh,_ ” (Okay okay fine. Must be amazing if you say so,) Aman laughed again and conceded to his point. He turned his head to look at Karthik and was taken aback by how softly the taller man was looking at him. He looked down to distract himself, but his eyes fell on their hands, besides each other, almost brushing but not quite. Almost on its own accord, his hand reached out towards Karthik's, who promptly intertwined their fingers. They both looked at their hands, and then at each other before breaking into soft smiles and walking quietly.

The silence between them was comfortable, and neither felt the need to break it. Suddenly, they both jumped at the sound of thunder and as if out of nowhere, it started pouring. Karthik tightened his grip and they both ran across the empty roads towards the plazas on the other side. They both gasped for air once they reached the plaza, and were safe from the rain. It hardly mattered though, since they both were already drenched. Aman pushed his hair back to get it out of his eyes while Karthik just shook his head to get the excess water out. They looked at each other and burst out laughing, finding it hilarious how their first date had turned out.

As they were laughing, without thinking Aman reached up to brush the hair off of Karthik's forehead. When his eyes swept down to gauge in his face, he forgot how to breathe. Karthik was gazing at him with heavy-lidded eyes, his breaths laboured and Aman let one of his hands fall to his side while the other lay forgotten, buried in Karthik's hair. Karthik looked heavenly in the yellow halogen lights, his hair slick and his heavy lashes brushing his cheeks whenever he blinked. He could hear his own breathing become laboured like Karthik’s when the latter snaked his arms around the shorter man’s waist and pulled him flush against his own chest. Aman’s hand came up to rest flat on his chest. 

Aman knew his own heartbeat was erratic because Karthik looked devouring with the purple shirt sticking to his torso, but he was surprised at how fast Karthik's heart was beating under his hand. Aman saw Karthik's eyes drop to his lips, and he closed his own eyes in anticipation, his breathing heavy yet in sync with the other man’s. However, before he could feel another set of lips on his own, they both jumped and their eyes flew open at the sudden sound of thunder.

Karthik smiled at Aman, choosing to break the silence. “I guess we should head back home?”

“I guess.” Aman replied.

He sat on a bench, rubbing his hands to warm them as Karthik ordered an OLA for them.

“It should be here in about 15 minutes,” Karthik said as he took a seat beside Aman.

“Good. I am freezing.” Aman did not want to complain, but his body was probably confused at the slightly chilly weather in the middle of summer.

Without a word, Karthik shifted towards him, their thighs touching, and put an arm around Aman. The latter just lay his head on his shoulder as if it was the most natural thing in the world. They both were silently watching the rain from their seat when Aman spoke up.

“Karthik?”

“Hmm?”

“I just wanted you to know that I had fun today.” Aman said, closing his eyes. Karthik was silent for a few moments and Aman grew tensed. He was about to open his eyes and look at the other man’s expression when he spoke up.

“Me too, Aman, me too.” Aman could practically hear the smile in his voice and could not stop his own lips from turning up into a smile. They had to wait for another five minutes before Karthik's phone rang to tell him that their cab was there.

They both settled in and the car had not even left CP when the driver spoke up. 

“ _Sahab, main do minute ATM se paise nikal kar aaun kya?_ ” (Sir, can I quickly go and get some cash from the ATM?) he asked rather uncertainly.

“ _Haan haan koi baat nhi tum ja kar paise nikal lao,_ ” (Sure sure, you can go get the cash,) Karthik reassured the driver, who parked the car at the side of the road and went to the ATM.

Karthik looked at Aman with a small smile while the latter just gazed into his eyes. Almost at the same moment, their eyes fell on each other’s lips before meeting again, both sensing the shift in the atmosphere. Before he could think of doing anything, Karthik swooped down to capture Aman's lips between his own, cupping his face. Aman was taken by surprise and had barely started kissing him back when Karthik tried to pull back. 

However, Aman stopped him by placing a hand at his nape and kissing him again. He was relieved when Karthik kissed him back with just as much fervour instead of pulling away. He could feel the pad of Karthik's thumb playing with his day-old-stubble, his fingers tracing his jawline. He was playing with his soft hair above his neck, their lips fitting perfectly, softly kissing in the empty OLA with the rain as their audience. 

They both got aware of footsteps running towards the car and pulled back abruptly lest they got caught by the driver. It indeed was the driver, and Aman thanked his stars for the tinted glass on the windows. They both looked at each other once the car started moving, and then to their intertwined hands on Karthik's lap, softly smiling and carefully storing this memorable first kiss in their minds.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> How did you like the chapter? Please let me know in the comments below! Oh, and would you all want a stay-in date night chapter where they just spend the night at home?
> 
> P.S. To any Johnlock followers, yes the purple shirt here is an ode to the purple shirt of sex ;)


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Karthik and Aman have their first time (sorry but there is no actual smut :P), and while Aman loves it, it gets him a lot of things going through his mind.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know, I know I promised a date-night chapter, and that IS coming. I'll be posting that next.
> 
> It's just that, it was not fitting well into the story, it seemed off and I couldn't bring myself to upload it (hence the delayed update). Consider this to be a filler chapter if you want, and let me know what you think of it.
> 
> Next chapter coming soon!

### Their First Time 

_Ping._ Aman was distracted from the movie he'd been watching by the text message alert on his phone.

_Karthik ;) – Wanna go for a midnight ride and grab some snacks?_

He smiled fondly at his phone. Looking at the name seldom failed to make him smile. Karthik had entered his name with the winking emoticon about two months ago, on their first date when they’d exchanged their numbers and Aman did not have the heart to change it. _It is so innocent yet so hot at the same time, just like the person himself,_ he'd thought to himself. 

In the past two months, Aman had got to know that Karthik was nothing if not spontaneous. They’d had about half a dozen official dates, and numerous random ones. Aman knew that Karthik loved the unplanned ones better, he on the other hand just loved them all the same.

_Me – Sure. I’ll be down in 5?_

He texted back, got an affirmative text almost instantly and switched off the television. Grabbing his keys and combing his hair with his fingers, he made his way downstairs towards the parking lot, where Karthik was already present beside his bike. They hugged each other, but dared not kiss in the open parking lot.

“Hi.” Karthik smiled.

“Hi.”

“I missed you.” Karthik said as he bopped their noses.

“I missed you too. Now get on the bike before some innocent onlooker is scandalised by our PDA.” Aman replied with a twinkle in his eyes.

Karthik straightened his back dramatically before saying, “Yes sir!” making them both laugh.

They both got on the bike and once Karthik got onto the main road, Aman felt as if they were flying. Though the road was not completely barren (Delhi roads seldom are), it was relatively empty and they did not have to stop much. The air felt amazing in his hair, and Karthik was rambling on and on about some random homophobe in his office. Aman smiled at the calm he was feeling, and planted a kiss on Karthik's shoulder before resting his cheek on it. 

They spent over an hour on the road, talking about their day, listening to random songs, laughing and just enjoying each other. Before heading back to their apartment, they stopped at their favourite _chai ki tapri_ (roadside tea stall).

The ride to Aman's floor was spent in relative silence, both of them just enjoying each other and listening to songs on the earphones they shared. They were both leaning on the elevator’s wall, hands firmly clasped when Karthik broke the silence.

“You free this Saturday?” Karthik asked hopefully.

“Huh? Oh yeah, yeah I am.” Aman said.

“Date night?”

“Date night.” Aman replied. Too soon, they reached the 12th floor, and moved towards Aman's flat. It was some sort of a ritual, they’d both go till Aman's flat together, Karthik would drop him off and then would go downstairs to his own house. 

Aman unlocked the door, but did not enter the flat. He just stood at the entry and looked up at Karthik.

“So, good night I guess.” Karthik looked down at him, and Aman saw something uncertain swirling in his deep dark eyes. Karthik on the surface was a bubbly, never-low-on-energy baby. Aman however knew that he was deep down an old-soul, attempting to hide all the hurt the world had given him, and this just made him love him even more. Yes love. He knew it was too early, which was why he was yet to say those words out loud, but he had fallen for Karthik, pretty hard.

“Do you, uh, do you wanna come in for some coffee?” he asked uncertainly, wondering if he was reading too much into the situation.

“Oh, umm…..” Karthik trailed off and Aman felt his heart drop into his stomach, fearing rejection, before he felt like it was soaring. Karthik, instead of answering, had bent down to capture Aman's lips between his own. Their movements were slow, languid even, but it was passionate. It was the kind of kiss that makes your toes curl and butterflies flutter in your stomach. Aman nipped at Karthik's lower lip before prodding it with his tongue. Soon the kiss became a battle for dominance between two tongues.

They both, unfortunately were human and had to come up for air. They both breathed heavily, keeping their foreheads joined. Karthik was about to straighten up but Aman had other plans. He grabbed his collar and pulled Karthik inside his apartment, slamming the door shut and leaning against it, looking up at Karthik, his breaths laboured. Karthik looked at him with heavy lidded eyes for a moment before pushing him against the door and claiming his lips. Their breaths were coming in pants, hands roaming and movements fervent, Aman wrapped his legs around the taller man’s waist. Aman pulled back from the kiss, only for Karthik to go to work on his neck, making him gasp for air as he bit his lips to hold back a moan.

“Bedroom, please,” he said, barely getting the words out, and felt Karthik smile against his neck. 

****

They both were lying on Aman's bed, totally spent after their activities. And yet Aman couldn’t sleep. The room was silent, too silent. All Aman could hear was the AC whirring and Karthik's even breathing as he slept with his head resting on Aman's chest, their legs a tangled mess. Languidly drawing circles on Karthik's shoulder, Aman was lost in thoughts, his mind on over-drive, thinking about everything and nothing simultaneously.

When even at five he was still in and out of sleep, he decided it’d be best to just get up. He gently laid Karthik's head on a pillow and untangled their legs. Dressing up in a loose t-shirt and some shorts he goes into the kitchen to make some coffee, deciding to fix some breakfast later. He takes his mug and moves to the tiny balcony, hoping for the cool breeze to help calm his brain.

Not even quarter of an hour later, he feels a pair of strong arms circling his waist. Almost involuntarily, his mouth quirks up into a small smile and he leans into the man behind him.

“Good morning,” Karthik said in his deeper-than-usual, morning voice.

“Morning,” Aman replied. 

They stayed like that for a while, Aman again lost in thoughts.

“You’re quieter than usual.” Karthik finally said, more like stated, to break the silence. “ _Tu theek toh hai na? Is there something wrong? Is it about last night? Shit Aman I'm sorry! Sab kuchh itni jaldi hua.... Maine poochha bhi nhi.... Shit!_ ” (Are you fine? Is there something wrong? Is it about last night? Shit Aman I'm sorry! It all happened so fast.... And I did not even ask you.... Shit!) Karthik’s mind went off on a tangent and he dumped the barrage of questions on Aman, his voice growing more concerned and tensed, rising an octave with every sentence as he rambled on.

“What? No! Karthik….” He trailed off as he kept the mug on the railing nearby, not caring it just might fall, and turned in Karthik’s embrace. He kept his hands on Karthik's chest and leaned back so that he could see his face. Karthik looked lost and guilty, when he had not even done anything wrong. The expression twisted something in Aman's heart.

“ _Karthik, aisa kuchh nhi hai. Kal raat jo bhi hua who hum dono ki razamandi se hua. And I don’t regret any of it, if that is what you are thinking._ ” (Karthik, it is nothing like that. whatever happened yesterday night happened because we both consented to it. And I don’t regret any of it, if that is what you are thinking.) Aman wanted Karthik to know how special last night was for him, that it was not a mistake.

“ _Toh fir tu khush kyun nhi lag raha yaar? What are you thinking about? Wait, are you over-thinking again?_ ” (Then why don’t you look happy dude? What are you thinking about? Wait, are you overthinking again?)

Aman just looked down and kept quiet. Karthik removed one of his arms from his waist, and brought it up to cup his cheek to make him look up. Once their eyes locked, he spoke up again, this time considerably quieter, knowing that he couldn’t scare him off. “ _Kya hua bro? Mujhe batayega?_ ” (What happened bro? Can you tell me?)

“ _Karthik, yaar, kuchh nhi. I mean, I'm sure it’s just all very dumb._ ” (Karthik, dude, nothing. I mean, I'm sure it’s just all very dumb.) Aman thought he could brush it all off but when Karthik continued staring at him relentlessly, he sighed and continued, knowing Karthik was not going to let him go until he spilled everything. “I don’t know, I think I've started to care a lot about you, about us. And I'm not even sure where we stand. I mean, last night was so special, but was it right? Where do we go from here?”

“Aman, I don’t think I'm following you. _Aur yeh sab tere dimaag mein kahan se aa rha hai?_ ” (Where are all of these thoughts even coming to your mind?) Karthik furrowed his brows, clearly struggling to follow Aman's thought process.

“I don’t know! I've never felt like this before, felt so, so happy here, with you, with us.” Aman stumbled over his words before taking a deep breath to calm his nerves, failing miserably. “Karthik, with you, time seems to go so slow, and yet these two months went by in a blink. All of this, all of us….. Are we going too fast Karthik? Are we going too slow?” he took another ragged breath before finishing off quietly, “What even are we, Karthik?”

Karthik blinked down at Aman, astonished. “What do you want us to be?” he prompted, as if knowing there was something more that Aman had not yet said out loud, maybe something that his thoughts resonated with.

 _I want to be called yours._ Aman thought, and before he could change his mind, he just decided to blurt it out. “I want us to be more, I want this to be more than just some casual fling.”

“ _Tujhe pata hai na hum India mein abhi bhi shaadi nhi kar sakte?_ ” (You do know that we still can’t get married in India, don’t you?) Karthik said with his signature smirk.

“ _Abbey saale!_ ” Aman narrowed his eyes at him, but internally he was glad at his attempt to lighten the mood and couldn’t keep himself from smiling. He knew Karthik was not making fun of him, he never could, he was just trying to cheer him up and make him feel better by using the only tool he knew how to use, humour. He knew Karthik would never invalidate his feelings.

Karthik laughed and pulled him to his chest, and Aman instantly snuggled into his neck, loving the rumbling of his chest as he spoke the next words.

“I know how you feel because I feel the same Aman. I want us to be more. I just did not want to overwhelm you, in case you weren’t ready for the commitment.”

Aman pulled back a bit and pecked him on his lips. However, he pulled back before it could turn into a full-blown kiss and continued with a smile, his tone playful “ _Chal ab zyaada senti mat ho. Dono kaam ke liye late honge warna aise hi khade khade._ ” (Come on, don’t get all sentimental now. We will both get late if we just keep standing here like this.)

“ _Tu…. Saale, main senti ho rha hun?_ ” (You… I am the one getting sentimental?) Karthik feigned hurt and put a hand over his heart dramatically.

Aman just laughed and proceeded to kick him out of his flat, trying his best to ignore the kicked-puppy-look directed his way.

“See you tomorrow evening! Bye!” Karthik laughed and blew him a kiss before rounding the corner to go down the stairs. Aman just looked at the complete goofball fondly, wondering how he had gotten so lucky.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> How did you like it? I love comments so maybe drop one.
> 
> Also, maybe it's just me, but I just feel like Aman is a guy who has anxiety, and tends to over-think things a lot: and while Karthik is a total goofball normally, he knows exactly how to treat Aman and not make him feel like an idiot, or like someone whose feelings are not valid. Just makes the two of them seem more perfect for each other.
> 
> Date-night chapter coming next, and very soon!


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> They stay in for a date-night!!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know this is like super late, but I had this stupid writer's block in addition to college just being college and sapping all energy out of me. I'm really sorry for this late chapter. 
> 
> I hope you enjoy it and don't kill me :)

### Night-ins and Nightmares

“He- Why the _hell_ are you still in your pyajamas?” Aman exclaimed when he saw Karthik in a loose Tom and Jerry t-shirt and sweat pants. 

To his surprise, Karthik just pouted and went inside his house, so Aman just followed him, still flabbergasted and shocked to find him not dressed.

“Karthik!” he called as he followed him. “ _Tu abhi tak taiyar kyun nhi hua hai?_ ” (Why are you not ready yet?)

“ _Kyunki mere paas kuchh pehenne ko hi nhi hai!_ ” (Because I don’t have anything to wear!) Karthik said as he turned, his pout still in place.

Aman just stood in his place and stared at him, his mouth agape. “ _Tu mazaak kar rha hai na? Please tell me you’re joking._ ” (You are joking, right? Please tell me you're joking.)

“ _Nhi yaar._ (No dude.) Seriously, I can’t find anything nice! Not a single outfit that fits the amazing-Saturday-night-date-with-my-boyfriend vibe. I don’t look good enough in anything!”

Aman's heart flipped at the word, and his voice softened. “ _Tu pagal ho gya hai._ You know you’d look hot enough even if you wore a ruck-sack.” (You’re crazy.)

Karthik again just pouted and furrowed his brows, crossing his arms in front of him. It reminded Aman of a huffy 5-year-old and he had to work hard to reign in a chuckle. 

“ _Achha theek hai_. How about we cancel and just stay in tonight? We could watch a movie and just hang out here at your house?” (Okay, that is fine) he suggested.

“But you got dressed! Why would you wanna waste that?” 

“ _Toh tujhe bahar jaane ka itna man haai toh main help karta hun outfit dhundhne mein_.” (If you so want to go out then let me help you find an outfit.) 

“Nooooo, I just told you I have nothing!” he whined back.

Aman closed his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose. “Karthik Singh, do you want me to walk out that door and let you sulk all night? Because you are making me very tempted to do exactly that.”

“No!” Karthik practically yelled before clearing his throat and continuing in a relatively normal, clearly fake, casual tone. “I mean, you don’t need to go. We can have a night in.”

Aman smirked, “Thought so.”

“Meanie,” Karthik mumbled and again pouted. Aman had had enough of his pouting so he stretched up on tippy toes and pecked him, startling him.

“Your meanie,” he smirked before moving deeper into the house, leaving Karthik frozen, but not for long apparently. He had barely stepped into the living room when a pair of arms circled around his waist. He smiled and lent back as Karthik snuggled his nose into his neck.

“So, what are we having,” Aman turns his head to look at Karthik 

“I don’t know. Chinese take-out?”

“Karthik, you practically survive on take-out.” Aman wiggles out of his embrace and looks at him with his hands on his hips. Kartik rubbed his neck sheepishly in return. Aman continues, “You know what, I think I should cook something.”

About an hour later, Aman managed to get some mushrooms and other veggies which were now shimmering on a pot in some sort of curry, as rice cooked on another stove.

“Mmmmm, this is so tasty Aman. Perfect,” Karthik moaned, licking the spoon Aman had given him so that he could check the taste of the curry. He smiled and went to stir it one last time before turning off the gas, swatting Karthik's hand that was reaching out to get some more. Karthik pouted and snaked his arms around Aman, pecking his cheek. “Please. Just one more spoon,” he cooed adorably.

Aman melted on the inside but did not let it show. “No.”

“Please,” Karthik tried again jutting his lower lip out.

“Nope.” Aman put the lid back on and turned in his embrace, smiling at his cute face, his heart skipping a beat, like it always did around this amazing human. Karthik's expression also changed to mirror his soft smile. 

“Did I tell you that you are a meanie?” Karthik asked softly, his smile still in place, soon to be wiped out by Aman's lips.

****

“No…. Please, no.”

Aman's eyes fluttered open at the sounds of whimpering coming from above his head. He was confused for a moment before he realised that Karthik's neck, which he was snuggled into, was now beaded with sweat, and Karthik's breaths were laboured. He realised that Karthik was probably having a nightmare.

Karthik whimpered again and that spurred him into action. He sat up and looked for a towel to wipe off the perspiration beaded on his warm skin.

“ _Karthik,_ ” he whispered as he dabbed his skin, not wanting to startle him. He was wide awake now, all traces of sleep vanished from his brain as he focussed his attention on Karthik.

“Not him please… No… Aman,” Karthik again whimpered.

Aman was now very worried. “ _Karthik, please wake up,_ ” he said as he lightly threaded his fingers through his hair.

“Aman!” Karthik’s eyes flew open and he sat up with a start.

“Karthik! _Yahin hoon main,_ ” (I'm here,) Aman said as he put a hand on his forearm, causing him to turn.

“No, no you can’t be here, he is coming, he is here,” Karthik frantically tried to piece together a coherent sentence, his eyes wide. Aman realised he was still not completely awake, and his breaths were still laboured.

“Karthik, calm down, you just-”

“You don’t- you don’t understand he-” he practically started sobbing.

“Shh. Karthik, shh. Look at me,” Aman said. He was pretty sure Karthik was going into a panic attack, breaths becoming more laboured by the second, irregular pulse, heavy perspiration combined with incoherent sentences, it wasn’t exactly rocket science for him. In fact, for him, rocket science was far more complex than brains. 

Once he had commandeered his attention, he continued, “Focus on my voice Karthik, and do as I say.” 

He then proceeded to attempt to stabilise his breathing and calm him down. Even after the violent sobs stopped, tears continued to flow from his eyes. Once he was relatively calmer, Aman pulled him to his chest and continued speaking softly to him, trying to comfort him. Aman Tripathi, the boy who always ran from love and all displays of affection, was now steering his boyfriend out of a panic attack and was murmuring sweet nothings into his ear. The thing was, he realised, he did not even mind it. In fact, Aman was actually glad he was here for him, caring for him.

After a while Karthik pulled back, but Aman did not let him go too far, cupping his cheeks and looking into his eyes. “It was a nightmare, wasn’t it? Are you okay?” he asked softly.

Karthik's eyes went round, as if seeing Aman for the first time since he had woken up. He suddenly pulled back and buried his face in his hands. “Fuck!” he swore.

“Karthik?” Aman called out uncertainly, keeping his hands on Karthik's forearms.

“Fuck _yaar_! I am so sorry you had to see that. I'm sorry I woke you up, bro,” he said in a croaky voice.

“What? No! _Karthik, paagal hai kya?_ You just had a nightmare, if anything, I am glad I was here. I don’t want to imagine you going through it alone,” (Karthik are you crazy?) Aman said, quietly speaking the next sentence in his head, _I will always be here for you, Karthik._

Karthik just gave him a meek and tired smile, one that did nothing to reassure him.

Nonetheless, Aman smiled back and said, “Wait here, I’ll get a glass of water for you from the kitchen.” He attempted to get up but Karthik's hand shot out to grab his wrist.

“No, please, don’t leave me right now,” Karthik practically pleaded and Aman's heart squeezed painfully. 

“ _Karthik, paani toh pee le, I swear I will be back very soon. Bas ek minute,_ ” (Karthik at least have some water, I swear I will be back very soon. Just give me one minute,) he tried to coax him. Karthik looked at him for a long moment before nodding and letting go of his wrist. 

Aman instantly missed his warmth and as he made his way into the kitchen quickly, he cursed himself for having to leave him, even if it was for barely a minute.

Aman stared at him as he finished his glass of water. Aman wasn’t surprised he was parched after the episode. Taking the empty glass of water, he kept it on the bedside table before he turned his attention back to Karthik, who was looking down, playing with some loose threads on the sheets.

“Do you want to talk about it?” 

Karthik looked up to him, finally shaking his head after a long moment. Aman nodded his head in understanding, “Okay then. Let’s sleep?”

“Sure,” Karthik said, not sounding sure at all.

Aman sensed it, but said nothing. He just laid back down and let Karthik snuggle into his chest. He played with his hair, his other hand holding him securely. It was barely five minutes before Karthik spoke up, very quietly, his voice barely audible, “It was my dad.”

Aman's hands stilled for a moment, before he willed them to continue stroking his hair. He remained silent, scared that he might say the wrong thing and make Karthik retreat. Thankfully, Karthik continued without any prompting. 

“He- I mean, usually, it is him in the nightmares. He was not a good parent, but you know that. He was abusive, to put it lightly. My therapist says the nightmares are a result of my PTSD.”

Aman knew that Karthik did not have any contacts with his father after he ran away from home, and that his mother had died when he was a kid. However, he was horrified to learn how abusive Karthik's dad must have been to have such a lasting impact. He had thought that Karthik might have had left home because of his father not accepting his sexuality, but now he was realising that the trauma ran deeper than that.

“Do you have them often? The nightmares, I mean,” Aman asked softly, his hand still stroking his hair.

“No, not that often anymore. Every now and then, I might have a light one. But today, it was, he was there again, and he had this small mob and-” his voice broke. Aman hummed to prompt him. “And you were there. They were coming for you Aman, and I couldn’t do anything,” he finished off meekly.

Aman almost froze, “It is okay. I am fine here, Karthik.”

“I know. But, it felt so real. And my dad was not even the scariest part, it was that you were alone, and I-” he broke off.

Aman's heart skipped at the statement. Karthik was scared, for him. He did not know how to process the information, but he knew that the problem at hand was far more important. “Karthik, I am okay. No one is coming for me.”

Karthik nodded and took a shaky breath. “Thank you for being here tonight, Aman.”

Aman's heart twisted, thinking about all the times that Kartik had gone through this alone, all the times when there was no one to save him from the demons that haunted him. He couldn’t help himself from kissing Karthik's crown before answering, “Always.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> How did you like it? I tried to do them and their personalities justice while writing the nightmare scene, but I'm not so sure....
> 
> P.S. I love comments!! ;)


End file.
